Exploring Traditional Remedies for Measles: Ethnopharmacological Insights from Fez, Morocco
-
Ayoub Amssayef
,
Hasna Chaab El Asri
,
Mohammed Ajebli
,
Hamza Elbouny
,
Lina Amrani
,
Mohammed Benyahya
,
Raja Guemmouh
,
Damaris Silveira
Abstract
Morocco has been experiencing a widespread measles outbreak, and medicinal herbs may represent an important therapeutic resource for manypopulations. This work aims to explore the ethnopharmacological uses of medicinal plants for measles treatment in Fez region in Morocco. Ethnobotanical data were collected through structured questionnaire administratedvia direct interviews with herbalists. Ethnobotanical indices applied included the relative frequency of citation (RFC), use value (UV), and family use value (FUV). A total of 100 herbalists in the city of Fez agreed to participate (94 men and 6 women), aged between 20 and 80 years, with educational levels predominantly at the of primary and secondary stages. The herbalists reported 39 plants, distributed across 36 genera and 22 families, as treatments for measles. The most represented family was Lamiaceae (7 species, 18%), while Ranunculaceae recorded the highest FUV (0.12). The most cited species was Nigella sativa (RFC = UV = 0.12), followed by Zingiber officinale (RFC = UV = 0.11), and Salvia rosmarinus, Citrus limon, and Saussurea costus with RFC equal to 0.06. Seeds were the most used parts (39%), while powder (38%) and infusion (27%) were the dominant preparation modes. Additionally, herbalists recommended the use of other natural substances, including goat hair, beehive products, and sulfur. This study highlights the existence of indigenous ethnomedicinal knowledge of medicinal plants used to treat measles in the Fez region, andthe documented plants may serve as a foundation for future scientific research.
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| Issue | Vol. 11, No. 3, 2026 -In Press- | |
| Section | Research Article(s) | |
| Keywords | ||
| Measles outbreak Ethnopharmacological survey Natural products Medicinal plants Fez-Morocco | ||
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